#slow worm

Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis), family Anguidae, Poland

Legless lizard.

Death adder? No, this is the deaf adder! Also known as the common slow worm, this reptile is actually a legless lizard! Contrary to their name, they are neither deaf nor particularly slow. However, they're thought to be one of the longest-lived lizards in the world; adults have been recorded reaching up to 54 years old!

Slow worms!

There are two species of slow worm in the Balkans and both are not worms, but legless lizards.

Eastern slow worm (Anguis colchica) is a rarer species. It's native to Eastern Europe. The pattern on its back is a bit blotchy and busy. This is a female, so she doesn't have the blue spots males have.

Western slow worm (Anguis fragilis) is more common. As you can see, it's more silvery than the eastern one and has a more uniform coloration. We actually managed to catch a male and a female together, so let me show you the difference:

The male is in the left hand, darker colored with speckling. During breeding season, males have a blue stripe on their backs, but, sadly, breeding season is over, so this male is just grey. The female is in the right hand, she's bigger, lighter color and thick. She is ready to lay her eggs!

Eastern and western slow worms can hybridize and they create a fertile offspring, so determining which is which in the places where they overlap is a nightmare.